Hot Mic with Dan Savage

Love is patient, love is kind, love is giving up your rent controlled apartment, screaming alone on a beach, and everything in-between. This episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage features two stories where someone drops the “I love you” bomb  – including a studio story from master teller Kevin Allison, and comic Jackie Kashian speaking of love at Romantic Encounters. Dan also offers some tips on dealing with heartbreak, should said "I love you" bomb happen to explode upon impact.

Secret identities don't just cause problems for superheroes - they make trouble for normal people too. In this episode of Hot Mic, two storytellers  - one of them is Dan Savage himself - describe what it's like to hide, and then reveal, sexual or gender orientation. This episode features the stories "Trans on Ice" by Elana Lancaster for The Story Collider, and "Watch and Learn" by your host Dan Savage for Bawdy Storytelling.

“Don’t hesitate! Take the plunge! Put yourself out there!” Well…what’s out there? You may find an open minded sexual unicorn capable of pleasuring you beyond humankind’s feeble imagination, or limp home bruised and black-eyed with little more than your dignity and a story; maybe not even that much. On this episode, Rachel Bitney Wecht shares “A Little Geological Time and Pressure,” and comedian and writer Marina Franklin shares a studio story about a time she got put out there.

The most hopeless of crushes are often the most powerful. On this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage we'll hear a studio story from Samm Levine. Sam shares a story about a pre and post-fame crush on a girl with an intoxicating name. We'll also hear a RISK! live story from David Montgomery, who once nurtured a rather expensive crush on a very unavailable man. Plus, Dan shares a memory of his very first unrequited crush and the residual effect it had on the future.

When applied appropriately, a little shame can be hot. But all too often when shame enters a sexy situation, it's not the fun kind. On this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage we'll hear two stories that deal with shame head on. First, writer Elna Baker attempts to get laid while ignoring the Mormon voice in her head in "New York Virgin," told live at RISK! Then we'll hear from comedian Jessica Kirson, who shares a studio story about the time a raucous hookup left her filled with shame.

When love ends and your lover leaves, they also leave things behind—that t shirt that smells like them, or that mix CD they made you, or their sex toys. In this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage, we present an elegiac dildo variety show of sorts. We have a live story called "Up in Flames" by Henry Bear from The Mystery Box Show, and a special piece about an unusual graveyard in San Francisco. We also have the saddest country love song ever, from the musical duo Reformed Whores.

Online dating is the grandest gamble, the reward might be a great time, but the opportunity for disappointment and deception is no joke. This episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage features two hilarious stories about online hookups that went in different directions than the storytellers imagined. Comedian Guy Branum shares a story with us about a hookup gone rogue. Then, journalist Tod Kelly shares a story he told live at the Mystery Box Show about his adventures on the notorious website Ashley Madison.

When it comes to sex, nothing is harder than talking about sexually transmitted infections. Get it?! And STIs are even more difficult to make funny, look how hard we just tried! On this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage, a bunch of brave souls break the stigma with hilarious STI stories and scenarios. Rob Penty shares a story from RISK! about genital warts, and members of The Groundlings conjure up ridiculous STI-ridden, improvised scenes. For contrast, Dan Savage offers up a bit of practical STI advice.

As a tiny minority of America's population, most members of the LGBT community spend most of their time in heterosexual spaces. But the "Gay Area" episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage is...well, just what it sounds like. You'll hear a story from Don't Tell My Mother about what happened when straight comedian Barry Rothbart got hired to film a promo video for a huge gay nudist retreat. And Joel Kim Booster, a NYC-based comedian, shares a story about the time he and a few dudes claimed a room of their own.

Everyone loves a good creepy story, and this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage features two particularly great ones - including a creeper story with a twist by Janelle James from RISK!, and a studio story from Sean Patton about what happens when you become the creep. Plus, Dan has some advice for those who hang out with creepy people.

Having a comfort zone to retreat to is important. But just like a city gets rezoned in order to accommodate development, we have to rezone what we're comfortable with in order to grow. Especially when it comes to sex. On this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage, two storytellers decide to try to make their comfort zones a little larger. This episode features "Can I Pick This Up," which David Crabb told at RISK!, and "Afterparty," which Caitlin Gill told at Don't Tell My Mother.

On this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage, singer and songwriter Rachel Lark joins Dan to talk (and sing) about heartbreak, love lost, hope found. Featured stories include "Searching for the Rainbow" by Michael Zhuang for Story District, and "Janine Gets Her Groove Back" by Janine Brito for RISK!

Every romance begins differently, but for the ones that last, there's always a moment when you decide to commit - we call it your commit-moment. In this episode, two storytellers share the tale of their own commit-moments, and prove that real love can come from the strangest of places. This episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage features "Wet Feet" by Emma Weisfeld for The Narrators, and "How Nick's Mind Works" by Lesley Jones for Bawdy Storytelling.

Sex work is a diverse range of professions united by sex, money, and stigma. Because of the stigma, we hear a lot about the sex, but we rarely hear from the workers themselves. But in this episode, two sex workers show their work. "Humiliatrix" Ceara Lynch shares the story, from the Mystery Box Show, of how she got started and how she managed to tell her dad. We also feature a revealing interview between Dan Savage and porn star and activist Conner Habib.

In this special, single-story episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage, Lily Be tells the tale of how her parents' marriage ended—a mystery she had to wait more than a decade to uncover. Plus, Dan Savage shares his thoughts on monogamy, secrets, and more. This episode features the story "Conversion Van Stowaway", which Lily Be told for RISK! in Chicago.